


Unexpected People You Meet

by Phyrewulf16



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Gen, Interspecies, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-01-09 02:29:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12267063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phyrewulf16/pseuds/Phyrewulf16
Summary: Retitled and reworked story I started a while ago but never finished until now. Basically this takes place a few decades after Alduin is defeated by the dragon born with a few alterations to the main timeline. This is a story of an unusual Khajiit meeting unusual nord, their growing friendship and  there sometimes mundane and sometimes exciting adventures all over Tamerial. Will feature reader suggested quests in the future





	1. Foreword

**Ok not a real chapter more of a  back story to get things explained with a few changes to the lore of Elder scrolls to make it a bit easier to type. These changes will not only work in this fanfic but in any other Elder scrolls fanfics i write in the future.**

**First off, several potions or spells being removed. The ones that increase Archery or sneak or things like that being removed. Things that increase stamina stayes but works more like an energy drink (drink one and go from dead tired to back to peak form, like Monster but better. Like they got very good night sleep. The potions of healing heal wounds (the bigger the bottle the better wounds it heals) Things that deal with magica affects how the spells are cast.**

**Magica... works like an energy that the body uses to cast spells without getting hurt by rebound effect, the higher the magica the more energy that can flow through the body (like weight lifting, the more you lift the more the body gets used to the weight resulting in being able to lift more and more)**

**As for the carry weight system...this is more of a logical explanation to how it could work in the game, Basically...the satchels, or fanny packs on the armors are enchanted with spell to shrink items down to a tiny size and fit in the pack...BUT doesn't change the weight of the item (so a 10 pound sword would shrink to size of toothpick but still weigh 10 pounds) however due to not able to explain it properly...Gold and arrows in my AU will still remain weightless.**

**Chests in the ruins have the same 'shrink' spell woven into the wood/metal when they are made, but also have a time based effect magic (that has long been forgotten) that stops aging and deterioration of things. (My reasoning behind why there is fresh food in ancient caves and ruins.**

 

**OK on with the back story...**

**This story takes place 20 years AFTER the main questline of Skyrim (Helgen got destroyed) ignoring the DLCs and little side quests (companions, and others) The dragonborn (whatever charactor you readers build) finds a journal in the Thalmor embassy saying that they are controlling both sides ...(This IS true, Me and my wife-** **_who both play and beat this game_ ** **\- have found this journal) And decided to show this to the jarls and the visiting emporer. This causes all of Tamriel to go back to war with the High elves leading them to surrender and forge a new treaty, allowing the worship of Talos. This also is when the rulers in Tamrial write new laws banning the treatment of non-human species (obviously some people still have prejudice), this also pretty much opens most borders to everyone. With the civil war over, Helgen gets rebuilt slowly and merchants and traders travel all over buying, selling, or simply transporting supplies to areas that need or want them.**

**This is pretty much my OC's meeting, becoming friends and partners. And maybe something more should i feel the urge to make it romantic but should mainly just be their (mis)-adventures across Tamriel**


	2. Damn Cats!

Clink

"98"

Clink

"99"

Clink

"100"

A gruff voice counted out the large sum of septims, dropping them into a large cloth bag. The older Breton tied it off before handing it off to the intended payee, a young nord before him leaning on an older wooden cart. "There ya go Caius, 2000 gold. Just as promised." The man grabbed the purse and hefted it, feeling the heavy coin within before tying it to his belt. He turned towards the Breton, "Thanks Dorian, but it's just another job well done."

"Ah now boy give yourself more credit. Your always on time, haven't lost any shipments and always honest about your prices. I wish all the merchants and wagon drivers were like you." The older man giving the younger a slap on the back, causing him to stumble with a laugh. Caius quickly regained his footing.

"Thanks Dorian, Oh ...have you received any missives about a return shipment?" He asked as he started checking over the harness on his horse. The Breton opened his satchel, checking several papers before pulling one out and looking it over.

"Yes i did, and the workers will be loading your cart real soon."

Caius smiled as he started tightening the bridle on his horse. He was in for a long haul from just south of Cyrodell back up home to Whiterun. He missed being in skyrim. Cyrodill is nice and all, nice cities, friendly people, fair weather. But its just not home. No place was like Whiterun. He's been to Hammerfell and elswyer and found it was to hot with too much sand. Morrowind and Solstheim had the weird landscape and the volcanos..But skyrim...it was perfect for his tastes.

He had just finished cinching down the straps went he heard grunting before the wagon shook with a thudding sound coming from the back of his wagon. He looked around it to see an argonian and orc loading the wagon with supplies and requested items for his return trip back home. Least it was going to pay well. Very well. Seems Whiterun desperate for a few items and willing to pay a lot of gold to get it. He glanced back at the worker loading. Least it wasn't a Khajiit. Regardless of the "non-hatred" law the emperor passed a decade or two back, he still didn't trust them damned cats. Tends to happen when you watch one kill your father in front of you, the image of that animal slitting his throat with an all to proud smirk on his face, before proclaiming, 'Hail Sithas.' Not even the arrow he let loose that rendered the khajiit lifeless made his hatred of the species any less. Not to mention that ever since he started transporting goods across the map, he's had stuff stolen by them, been screwed out of gold, and he has yet to meet one that spoke the truth to him, always twisting their own words to screw him over. He groaned as he tried to quell his spiking anger. He glanced up to watch the lizardman load his cart. The argonians have there bad ones too...hell every species does. But when it comes to khajiit...

"Ok Traveler, your all loaded." A rough voice cut his thoughts off. He looked and the argonian had giving him the signal that he was ready to go. He started to climb up the side when several things happened at once. First he heard feminine panting with rapid footfalls, followed by the sound of shifting metal like a knife or sword unsheathing. Then came a hard tug and pulling on his belt. He fell off to the side as  the sound of coins being rattled filled his ears, before the tension on his waist went away with a grunt and a gasp.  He leapt up off the ground and grabbed at his belt...his purse...its gone. He quickly turned around looking everywhere until he saw it. A hooded figure running down the road, a long tail flailing behind them.

"DAMN IT...Dorian, watch my cart." And with that he took off running down the road. He locked onto the person running in front of him, clutching the stolen bag to their chest. However, no matter how fast he ran, he was loosing ground, whatever this person was...they were faster. It didn't help when they dashed into a large crowd, changing directions every second it seemed. After several minutes, he lost sight of them just outside of town. He spun around scanning the roads and woods but saw nothing out of he ordinary. Spouting every curse word he knew, he turned on his heel, stomping back into town to find his cart being watched closely by the older Breton. No words needed to be spoken, Dorian understood, bowing his head in apologies.

Caius climbed into the seat and started his way down the road, his mood soured. 2000 gold was just gone, true he didn't NEED the coin, but it was nice to have a little extra just in case. He sighed as he pulled his cart out of the capital and down the dirt trails. As he traveled, his thoughts turning dark as to what he would do to that damn cat if he ever saw him again. Red filled his vision as he imaged it's blood covering his blade. After a few hours he came upon an issue, he was no longer on the road. He stopped in front of a large river, not knowing exactly where he was. Caius pulled out his map to gain his bearings, hoping he wasn't too far off course. According to his map, there should be a bridge somewhat close by. He squinted in the sun to see the bridge a 1/2 mile down river. As he went to turn his cart, movement caught his eye. He looked hard across the river to see something unbelievable. A person was standing, soaking wet from the river, looking in his direction. It was the thief....right across the river holding his purse to their chest. They removed their hood, to reveal a younger female khajiit. He felt annoyingly pissed, he grabbed for his bow to stop her, quickly nocking an arrow. He was about to let it fly when he noticed something. She should've looked smug or arrogant, but instead she appeared to be...he wasn't sure. Scared? Sad maybe? Her eyes bright gold and wide. His anger gave way to confusion and uncertainty as he lowered his bow, taking the arrow off her chest. Taking a better look, she had cleaner brown fur than other khajiits he's seen, with unique darker stripes on her face and neck, and she seemed to be his age ...maybe a bit younger. His confusion only increased as she sent him a small uncertain smile and set his purse on the ground. He watched as she placed a rolled of parchment in an empty bottle, before turning around, taking off again.

He quickly got off his carriage and started to slowly wade across the river. When he got to the other side, he grabbed the purse and the bottle, returning to his cart to count the damage. After getting the gold coins counted he retied the bag very confused.

"Only 200 gold? She stole all my gold...and only took 200." He looked to where she ran off. "What kind of thief takes only 200 out of 2000?" He removed the paper from the bottle to find it was a short note, only two words shining against the paper, 'I'm sorry', but those two words made him curious and confused

Caius jumped back unto his seat and head back onto the road towards the bridge. Somewhat hopeful that he meets this unusual Khajiit in the future.


	3. A Chance Meeting

Caius continued his journey north through Cyrodil, passing through Aleswell up to Applewatch. As the days passed, his water skins were slowly being drank, his food stores decreasing, but everything was going good. Well, it did start to get colder, forcing his to replace his normal summer attire for thicker furs. As he traveled several thoughts clouded his mind. Ranging from the changes in weather, trying to avoid bandits, ...and that damn khajiit.

"Ugh," he sighed out loud rubbing his face from weariness,  "Damn cats and their stealing, always acting on whims, taking what piques their interest...ugh cant believe i got robbed by one, how could I have been so careless. I should've known one was around, one always is when there happens to be lots of coin." He grumbled to himself and started eating a wedge of elder cheese to sate his hunger, which seemed to help lower his anger, but only to have his thoughts continue. ' _Why though...why take it all...and leave most of it? In plain view where i could see it? And only 200 septims? Why so little of an amount? She seemed to be sad or ...upset...that she took my purse, which makes no sense to me...and that note she left.'_ He continued north through the mountains that separated Cyrodil and Skyrim, the air getting crisper and cooler as he went. The feeling of being back in his homeland lightening the weight on his shoulders, he took a deep breath of the mountain air and his thoughts melted away, his anger being replaced with calm and a feeling of ease. He looked down the mountain from his cart not seeing much in the pre-dawn hours. Finally, as the sun started to crest the hills and flooded the plains below with blinding light, revealing everything, he saw Falkreath in the distance. He urged his horses faster towards the town. He arrived on the outskirts of town near the stables, guiding his cart to the stable master, who was just coming out of the house. The mer noticed the approaching nord.

"Morning Caius." a gruff dark elf muttered as he approached the traveler.

"Morning, hows things going?" Caius answered as he climbed off his cart.

"Eh cant complain to much, need your fine steeds quartered for the night after that long trek from the capital?"

"Nah Got to get this to Whiterun," He reached for his now hidden purse and handed the stable master 100 coins, "This is holding them last month, never did pay ya for that." He looked around and seen that another carriage that normally was here, was missing, "Your brother out carting travelers around.?" He asked, walking around to the back to grab his rucksack.

"Hmm? oh yes He got hired to take a someone to Solitude earlier this morning, bout... an hour ago actually. However, since she was light on her coin, he agreed to take her to Whiterun." He shrugged scratching his chin, "Bit of an odd one."

"How's that?" Caius took a drink from his remaining water skin.

"Oh well it was a Khajiit, uh light brown, stripes...oh and her voice."

Caius interuptted him, "What about her voice?"

"Well...she didn't sound like a khajiit. Had ...well a normal way of speaking. She sounded like you nords and imperials. Bit of a softer, kinder voice, clear words and grammar." " The dark elf paused as he scratched his chin, thinking more on it," Oh and she was alone, most of them travel in groups, but not this one." He looked over towards Caius while adjusting the bridle on the horses

"Really?"he raised an eyebrow while going through his bag to ensure it all was there, not believing what he was hearing.

"Yep, bit younger...maybe your age...nice marking on her face...no scars...bright eyes." He reached out and started petting one of the horses. Caius went to jump on his cart, when the dunmer continued,"But she seemed to be in a hurry...heard her mention something about needing to get quite a bit of coin to Solitude."

Cauis's thoughts went wild,' _I Wonder... All that stuff he said about her...it all fits._ _Is she the same one that stole from me? Maybe i should...'_

"You said your brother was taking this Khajiit to Whiterun? When did they leave" He asked the Dunmer.

"Yea ...and I don't know..about ... hour ago now...why?"

"No reason, I'm going to head home for a day or two.. Ill be back then." He answered as he jumped onto his horse,  turned and took off down the road. He had a new mission...catch up to this Khajiit. He pushed his horse  at a brisk pace northeast straight towards Whiterun. ' _What are the odds that this is the same Khajiit ...and that she is headed to my home..._ ' was the core of his thoughts as he quickly made his way down the road. He made it to Riverwood at midday. He slowed the horse down at the outskirts of town and ran into a group of soldiers deep in conversation about sword techniques. He went around them and continued by through town. On the other side near the sawmill, he saw traveling Khajiit merchants. He glanced over them, not seeing the female he saw earlier, scoffed and went on his way, but was stopped when he overheard them.

"This one doesn't believe what was seen, an attractive young female that did not understand our tongues and resisted this ones advances, yet she spoke with the imperial tongue."

"Yes too bad, the female was quite attractive to this one as well, she would've made for a nice night companion. Pity. Wonder why she seemed to be in a hurry, she rushed out of this city like the gods were after her."

Caius pretended not to hear this and picked up the pace across the bridge and went right to run towards Whiterun. ' _I'm right behind her, I'm close._ ' For some reason, he seemed to be getting excited. He was curious, he wanted to know what was going on. This Khajiit was an enigma, and confused him, and for some reason...he liked it, it was a challenge. He pushed faster, riding past the Honningbrew meadery and the stables, jumped off his horse and approached the gate. Caius walked through the gates to see a large group gathered in the center of town. He heard yells and chanting,  _"Hang her"..."Cut her head off"... "Get it over with"..._

Caius slowed to a walk and meandered his way into the crowd, slowly working forward. He started to hear slight female cry, before a loud male voice drowned every voice out,  _"The guards of Whiterun finally caught this treacherous snake, has been charged for her crimes and, as in accordance to our laws, will be punished by being put to death."_  Caius looked at the scene in front of him and the crowd. Standing on a wooden stage was a nord male, His friend Rorik, wearing his Whiterun armor. Next to him was a male who's face was shrouded with a simple black hood while holding a very large executioners ax. His sight traveled downward, He saw her, the thief...the female khajiit, was on her knees with her hands and wrists bound behind her back. Her neck was held down on stone slab, the nords boots on her back holding her down Her face beneath her eyes her matted down with what could only be tears as her eyes were misty and had tears streaming. She was unable to speak as her mouth was covered and gagged, only allowing her to sob softly. As he stood there, he caught the eye of Rorik, who motioned for him to approach him.

"Caius, by the nine, how are you? Haven't seen you in weeks now." He asked as slapped Caius roughly on the back.

"Been everywhere it seems, Every city need something it seems...So whats going on here?" He asked motioning towards the cat. She looked pitiful, even to him.

"Oh her" Rorik spat, "She has committed crimes against Skyrim and Whiterun, so we are putting her to death." He said motioning towards the hooded man to do his job. The man began to slowly lifting his heavy axe.

"Huh word travels fast old friend, didn't know stealing gold was a death penalty...must've been gone longer than i thought." Caius shrugged.

Rorik looked confused, "Theft?...No She tried to murder the Jarl last week."

"Last week? Rorik that's not possible, that's the time that i was in Cyrodil...and that is when she stole part of my coin purse." Caius heard a rushing sound and muffled sob.

"HALT!" A rushing sound stopped just behind Caius, He glanced back and saw the blade just inches from the back of the cats neck, her eyes snapped open and looking everywhere. She locked eyes with the nord, filling with confusion. The crowd stopped the cheering and started murmuring and whispering. "Caius...Are...are you certain of this?" He friend leaned in close. Caius knelt towards the khajiit, studying her face closely. He stood turning back to his friend nodding, "Yes I had just made my last delivery and i felt my coin purse being taken from my belt...I saw the thief and gave chase. After a while i saw her drop my purse and leave, only taking a small amount from it."

"And your certain this is her?"

"Fairly Certain Rorik, Does she speak like you and me? And not like a Khajiit.?"

Rorik looked at the ground and sighed, "Release the cat, she isn't the one we seek." The crowd let out a collective groan and started to dissipate, another soldier came, pulled her off the ground and took her in the direction of the jail to retrieve her property.

"Well..that could've been a terrible event, executing an innocent cat eh." Rorik chuckled.

Caius returned the laugh, "Yes it could've." He glanced towards the Khajiit and saw her look back and catch his gaze, her eyes showing both thanks and confusion.

Rorik handed him a bag a of coin, "Here take what was stolen and ill be sure to give her the rest, i trust you wont take more than that."

He took the whole bag in his hand, "Tell her to meet me at the Bannered Mare, i want some answers." Caius smiled at him and headed off towards the inn. He went in and sat at a nearby table. He counted the coin she had, and wondered how much of the 2000 she had in total was stolen or not. He tied her purse tight and put it in his knapsack, and waited. He was going to get answers, no matter what. He sighed before taking a large gulp of mead.


	4. Forced Reunion

With a 'shink', a guard quickly drew a small dagger and sliced through the tight bindings on the khajiit's wrist. With a annoyed groan, Raahni rubbed her wrists, restoring the frazzled fur back down. With a now free paw, she reached up, wiping her tears away, as she watched the guard leave through a nearby door. Sending him an unseen glare, she almost fell over from a pain in her back. She leaned back into a stretch, letting her sore back pop. Raahni could still feel the harsh imprint of the executioner's boot on her lower back. She reached up with a paw, rubbing her neck and felt where the ax kissed her spine. Pulling her paw back, she noticed a very small droplet of blood, making her shake on the spot. She was this close her dying, when a practical miracle happen.  She couldn't believe it...the human she stole...um ...borrowed that gold from, was there to save her life. Like a he was sent from the divines themselves. Whether he saved her on purpose or accident was to be seen. The khajiit looked around the room to find a lone chest sitting against the wall. Quickly sauntering over, she opened the chest in front of her, retrieving her leather armor, elven dagger, and boots. As she finished returning her belongings to her person, Raahni found she was unable to see her purse.  As her ears caught the sound of someone walking up to her, She turned finding a different guard walking into the room and saw it was the same one that oversaw her both arrested her and presided over her stopped execution. She shuddered at the thought, her ears folded flat, tail wrapped close to her body once again.

He coughed, offering her his hand,  "Well miss, that uh couldn't be a huge mistake on our part." He gave her a small smile as he continued,  "The names Rorik miss..." She snarled at him and glared, but resigned her anger and shook the Nords hand, "Raahni."

"Well Raahni, i must say this is a surprise, never met a Khajiit that speaks with our tongue."

She glared at him, "Maybe next time someone cries they are innocent, you should look into it before swinging an ax."  She sighed, "Also, that is a very very long story and i do not have the time." She looked him over , "Now where is my coin purse." Her eyebrows raised. "I need to be going now."

"Well, that nord that showed up earlier. The one that saved you." 

Raahni continued to glare at him, tail hip twitching, "What about him?"

Rorik looked unsure as he told her with a sigh," Well...he has your purse and he.."

"What?!" Her anger boiled over through her voice, interrupting him. Her ears shot up, eyes shrunk, tail went stiff in anger.

Rorik coughed as he continued, "...He is willing to return it to you, if you meet him at the Bannered Mare, AND answer his questions."

She exhales through her teeth, quelling her anger for the moment, "Fine ...whats his name?"

Rorik smiled, "Ciaus Fairshield."

Raahni sighed as she nodded and left the room towards the prison door. Upon opening it, she was blinded by midday sun. Panic set in, she needed to hurry or it would be too late. She rushed down the stairs to the town center. Looking around the area in frantically, she saw the faces of the people around her. Several looked confused watching the khajiit spin around. Finally, as she stopped to regain her bearings, she saw the sign. Raahni sighed happily as her tail started twitching,  walking up to the door. Taking a deep breath as she placed her paw on the handle, she opened the door and went inside. Instantly, the sound of conversations filled her ears as she stepped in. As soon as the door shut loudly behind her, everyone ceased their activity to look at the newcomer. Her cheek fur bristled in embarrassment as all eyes fell on her. After a few seconds the music started again and everyone went back to what they were doing prior. Raahni looked around and finally saw him, sitting alone at a worn table, enjoying a mug of mead. Swallowing her fear and holding her head up high, she walked across the room, sitting across from him.

Ciaus watched as the female khajiit entered the inn, causing a small scene. When she noticed him, she started her way to him. His eyes on her as she walked across the room towards him. He took another swig of mead, waiting patiently. She finally sat across from him and looked at the table top. The khajiit was silent for a moment as she appeared to mull things over. She then sighed, lifting her head to look the human in the eyes, her gold ones staring into his bright blue, "Can i have my purse back please?"

"Wow, "Ciaus murmured in surprise, " Rorik was right, you do speak like an imperial, and yes you can ...Only after you answer my questions cat."

She growled low in her throat, her eyes gaining an edge as she glared, looking him in the eye, her anger instantly peaked, " Do NOT call me cat, I am a Khajiit, my name is Raahni," She spat through gritted teeth as he look surprised at her anger, "and you have no right to take my coin."

Ciaus looked her back in the eye, eyebrow raised ,"Really?" his voice full of sarcasm. "I could say the same thing...khajiit."

She groaned, pulling her paw down her face in irritation. "I do not have time for this," She muttered low. Raahni looked back at him, ears falling back, "Ugh OK yes i know I took some of yours...but i gave most of it back...a...a..and i intend to pay you back." She sighed looking away uneasy.

Caius took another drink of mead, not sure if he should believe her or not. He decided to take a chance, "Hmm how bout this...you explain why you took my purse, then left most of it where I could find and, " He drops the purse on the table with a smirk,  "I give you everything...including what you took from me."

"I don't have time for this," She repeating grabbing the top of her head, gripping her fur in frustration.

"Fine," He took another swig of mead, "make it quick, I'm feeling generous."

Raahni grumbled for a second, "Ok fine...Me and my brother were very young when we were raised by an imperial couple in a small city just south of Cyrodill after they found us abandoned near our murdered parents. As a result,w e don't speak our tongue and we don't know how to act like a khajiit.  I've never stolen anything before in my life until that moment...which i had to because my brother owes a man in Solitude a large sum of coin from a mistake my brother made. I was able to convince him to lower it IF i could get 2000 septim to him by the end of today...or else it doubles...so please, he's the only family I have. We only have each other." Her ears fell as she told him.

Ciaus listened to her tale and hated to say it, but he could just tell she was being honest. He looked in her eyes and saw she was on the verge of tears. He gave her a small understanding smile as he handed her the purse, nearly laughing at the look of surprise on her face.  "Go on. Don't worry about paying me bac..." He was stopped by her rushing around the table and hugging him tightly. She pulled away, her cheeks bristled in embarrassment.

She grabbed the purse, "By the nine thank you so very much." Raahni bowed and hurried out the door. Ciaus sat at the table, feeling oddly better, doing his good deed for the day. Even though he didn't intend on seeing her again, he honestly hoped she gets there in time.


	5. Regaining Family

The female khajiit sprinted out of the town, jogging down the road with one thing on her mind. Solitude, and her brother being held as a captive. No he was worse than that, he was a meager slave. That single thought drove her to near exhaustion, her lungs burning, muscles aching on the verge of collapsed as she kept pace. Raahni reached into her satchel and pulled a green bottle from the depths, uncorked it with her teeth and drained it in once gulp.  The cool liquid rushed down her throat, causing her to sigh in pleasure. Instantly she felt her body react, her muscles relaxing and repairing, her lungs stopped hurting as it fully invigorated her pushed body. She dropped the now empty bottle into the bag as she started running harder. She began thinking about that potion, she had long lost count on how many stamina potions she drank to keep going. Grimacing at the thought, she shook her head, not wanting to dwell on it, knowing however she would pay for it later.For now she was focused. The sun seemed to rush across the sky as she bypassed towns left and right, not stopping for anything. She out ran confused bandits and wild animals, not stopping nor slowing until she finally got to the gates of Solitude just before the sun could set. Raahni nearly ran over a guard on the way, never looking back as the mans house got in her sight, smiling that she made it.

* * *

 

Raahni's jaw dropped in anger and disbelief. She couldn't believe what was happening. Upon arriving to his house, clearly before the deadline, she told his steward that she was there and demanded to see that bastard immediately. It was hours later that he finally walks out smirks, crushing her hopes, "Your late cat, the price goes up."

Her jaw worked up and down in disbelief, "You...you stalled...on purpose." She paused on the verge of tears, biting them back," I've been here for hours waiting for you, i have the gold." She took the purse off her belt, shaking it letting him hear the amount,  "Now take my damn coin and return my brother this instant."

The fat nord smirked, his ugly face twisted in humor, "Sorry pretty kitty..guess your times up...bring me another 2000 gold and hes all yours." He sneered as he had another idea, "Unless you got another way to pay his debts." He chuckled deeply at her disgusted face. His employees around him looked away the khajiit starting to sob.

"This cant be legal, you you.." she started to tear up, her voice cracking, as she dropped to her knees. Her sobs seemed to amuse the man. He smiled widely as the cat before him cry. However, neither of them, nor his posse noticed a group of men walking up behind them. A booming voice startled them both, silencing her sobs and his chuckles.

"What is the meaning of this? My guard claims a Khajiit was rushing up this way seemingly distraught." They both turned to see the jarl and his guards looking down at the once sobbing khajiit. One of the guards seemed genuinely concerned. The fat nord smirked, opening his mouth to speak, "You see..."

The khajiit quickly stood and stopped the nord from lying, pointing to the disgusting human, "Jarl, this man has enslaved my brother under false pretenses. He previously agreed to release him if i brought enough coin to cover my brothers debt by sundown today. However, when i got here, he purposely stalled to waste time and just recent walked out, falsely saying i was late. He then suggested I offer my body to pay off his debt." She bowed to him as she gave her story.

The nord snorted as he started to back pedal and cover his ass, "Sir that is a lie...she was late and thats that...and her brothers not enslaved. He owes me coin from a mistake he made and he is currently working on my land to pay it off." He glared at the cat sneering at her, "Besides, like I would lower myself to lay with this harlot."

Raahni paid no mind to the nord's sly insult, "That's a lie Jarl..I've seen him with my own eyes. He is whipped, near starved, and practically tortured. The conditions are deplorable, he is a slave to him, there is no other way to say it. This nord pays no wages for the work he does, regardless of any debt he may owe. It has been nearly four months now since he was forced into this.""

Before the fat nord could cut her off, one of the guards spoke up, "Jarl, I'm inclined to believe the cat, she looks like the one that nearly ran me over sprinting up in this direction." Raahni's ears drooped and her upper lip twisted into a light snarl at the 'cat' thing.

"How long ago was this?" The jarl asked not moving his gaze from the khajiit, "Jarl it was nearly 3 hours ago."

The jarl turned to the nords helper, a young female dark elf, "Ma'am is this correct? Does she speak the truth about this nord and her brother? Has this young Khajiit been on the property for several hours.?"

The dunmer hesitated, not wanting to anger her boss. She then realized angering the Jarl was much worse, "It is true sir, She was here for several hours. I told him that the cat was here, and he lingered,  wasting time." The dunmer paused with a sigh then continued, "Also, it is true what she says."

"I see, guards, place him under arrest for attempting to extort more gold from this innocent Khajiit." No sooner had he said this, one of the guards approached him, sword drawn, and escorted him away. The jarl then turned to the dunmer. "Madam, would you please go fetch her brother, and his effects, and bring him to me at once." She bowed and rushed off. Moments later, she returned with a grey khajiit she immediately knew was her brother Shaar, who's green eyes lit up at the sight of his sister. Raahni wasted no time rushing towards him and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. She sobbed into his shoulders, thinking she would never see him again. After several minutes, they broke apart, Raahni was surprised to see the Jarl and guards gone. The dunmer gave a light smile and handed him his stuff back. He opened it and was happy to see it all there. "He'll be out in a week or so. Ill be taking care of the land until then. He will think twice before trying this again." She bowed and left to the house

"Come on, lets leave," Raahni said beaming as she grabbed his hand to guide him out of the city. He grabbed a large healing potion and chugged it, sighing happily as he felt his cuts and bruises heal. "Where are we going to go."

Raahni smiled at him, stating simply, "Whiterun."

"That will take us forever to walk, Why there?" Shaar whined, "Whats in Whiterun?"

She turned to face the road, her smile faltering, "Hopefully a future." She paused looking further down the road, "Maybe a job for you...and for me...i need to pay someone back." Raahni looked at the ground, hoping she could find a way to.


	6. Long Road Back

Now that Shaar was free from his bindings, Raahni was feeling much better. The stress was leaving her body, loosening her muscles. Her smile was much bigger as they made their way towards Whiterun. However, she scowled thinking back on his screw up, reaching over to smack him harshly on the back of his head. Nearly falling forward, his hissed in pain as he rubbed the tender spot, ears back as he looked at his sister in shock,"By the nine, what was that for?"

She glared at him, her face showing her now irritated state, "What were you thinking? You NEVER should have made a deal like that. What did father ALWAYS tell us about betting against nords?"

Shaar sighed as he looked to the ground in shame, his tail limp, "To do so only as long as drink is not involved." Raahni sighed at irritation of her younger brother, sometimes his naive ways got him in so much trouble. Her spirits lifted once again as her brother told her jokes and stories from when they were younger to try to ease the tension. Raahni's gold eyes bright as a polished coin as her happiness increased. They continued to walk briskly down the many winding roads, making their way to Whiterun. Everything seemed to be going good, at, not even a lone bandit charging them, trying to rob them dampened their spirits. Raahni's quick actions let her retrieve her bow from her satchel and fire an arrow straight through the nords face as he rushed towards them. Shaar chuckled deeply, thankful for her archery skills. He gave her a thankful smile as she placed her bow on her back just in case. Shaar paused only long enough to loot the body, figuring the human wouldn't need his belongings anymore, only to be slightly disappointed, coming up with nothing except a dull iron dagger, and 10 gold. He strapped the weapon to his waist, in case it was needed.

It wasn't long before the long hours of walking began to take there toll on Raahni, her mind started to fog as her movements began to slow, her brother not noticing at first as he increase the slight distance between them. Shaar glanced back noticed his sister had slowed down considerably, her steps heavy, boots dragging with every step.  Her once bright eyes now dull from her exhaustion.

"You ok Raahni.?" Shaar placed his hand on her shoulder to steady her as she began to wobble.

Her ears flicked, acknowledging him. Her eyes lids fluttered, "Yea I'm..." She fell forward with a soft breathy gasp.  He barely was able to catch her. He slowly let her fall gently onto the bare trail, "By the divines, Raahni whats wrong?" His voice high and panicky. 

Her eyes remained semi-closed as she spoke, her voice was soft, "Too many stamina potions to get to you..."

Shaar's ears fell flat against his head in concern, "How many did you drink.?" He gently shook her shoulders to wake her up. Gold eyes shot open for a moment before nearly closing fully.

"Um... more than ten." she chucked lightly as she started to doze again. Her breathing getting softer.

"Raahni..you know what that could cause..." He sighed as he heard her soft breathing turn to light snoring. He rolled his eyes and looked down the road to see Whiterun was close. Picking her up softly bridal style sighing as he continued to carry her towards town. Shaar ignored the looks the guards gave him as he walked up to the gates. After he breifly explained what happened, they let him through, giving him the directions to the inn. He walked through the town as he approached what he assumed was an inn, not caring how late it was or how little amount of people were still awake. Shaar used his tail to open the door to the Bannered Mare and entered, before approaching a woman at a bar.

"Hi ...um i would like a room for the night please..." He stated motioning to his sister in his arms. Her soft snoring still going strong.

The nord woman looked the two of them suspiciously, then stated plainly, "Sorry, i would, but i don't want to hear two horny khajiit mating in the middle of the night, scaring any patrons. Please go elsewhere for your honeymoon sir." As she returned to her ledger book, mulling over the numbers.

Shaar looked confused, before realizing just how the two looked to the human, "Mating?, No no she isn't my mate ma'am. She is simply my sister ...Raahni. She drank way to many stamina potions trying to save my life. Please..just one night." his ears falling.

The woman turned beet red in embarrassment, "Oh my ...I'm so sorry my dear, I just assumed...never mind, please follow me. " She walked around the counter and guided them to an empty room. Shaar laid Raahni on the bed placing a blanket on her sleeping form as she snuggled into he soft material, a small smile on her lips. He quietly shut the door, and headed back to the main area, to awake from recent events to be tired. He found the woman setting a table for him.

"Can i get you anything to eat or drink?"

Shaar thought for a moment, "I haven eaten real food in weeks, if its not bother since its so late...slaughter fish steak and mead? I've got the coin, reaching for his purse.

She waved her hand, "No problem my dear, give me a moment." She turned away from him as she headed to the back area to prepare the food. After a short time, she came back with his food, setting it in front of him. Shaar handed her some coins with a thankful smile. He began to eat as she sat across from him.

"So what brings you two to Skyrim? Also why don't you talk like Khajiit?" Her face seemed to show a genuine look of curiosity.

Shaar swallowed the bite off fish he was chewing on and chuckled, "Its a long tale."

"Well...we have a bit of timebefore your sister wakes up, if she did drink a lot of stamina potions, she wont be up till midday tomorrow." She gave him a soft smile

Shaar's tail gently flicked in happiness, he took a drink of mead, thinking on where to start, "Well it started a while ago when I left Cyrodill to travel..."

* * *

 

As Shaar told his tale, the nord woman sat there enthralled by it. Clinging to every word of his past. He told her everything from how their parents were murdered in cold blood by surviving Stormcloak rebelsjust after the civil war, just because they felt the Khajiit were selling arms and supplies taken from dead soldiers. How a wandering traveler and his wife chanced upon the ghastly scene and took them away to his home south of Cyrodill and raised them as his own, teaching them various skills, including Shaar training with the local blacksmith. Shaar smiled widely as he told her about him partaking in a smithing competition in the capital city and, even though he did not win, still took second place. Shaar also explained that since they were raised by humans in the imperial city, they never learn the Khajiit language nor any of their habits, including stealing.

The woman was shocked by his slavery, which he explained only happened because of a bad bet.

"Lesson learnt, never gamble at a drinking game." Shaar gave a dry laugh.

"Nope, especially up here in SKyrim. We Nords tend to take our libations seriously. "

Shaar chuckled and finished his glass of mead, and looked out a window to see the sun coming up, signaling morning had come. "Ah much better, well, i think i shall head out and see what employment i can muster."

"Hey...check with the blacksmith right inside the gate, The poor old woman needs lots of help in her old age. Not as young as she used to be."

"Thank you very much." He handed her a few more gold coins, saying how delicious the fish was and headed out the door, leaving his still sleeping sister lay upstairs.

As Shaar headed down the road, his thoughts drifted to his time as a slave. The horrible slurs thrown at his direction. Not just Khajiit slurs either, a lot of the mer races got equal slanderous phrases. It seems that a few nords still hold hatred in their hearts, hoping that this town would be different and accept him and Raahni. As he neared the smith area, he could just make out raised voices. His ears perked up high as he continued n until he got near a large wooden door, and was promptly shoved out of the way as they flew open. A younger wood elf rushed from the doors, with a very angry nord woman on his heels.

"HA great smith huh? You couldn't even make a butter knife. FOUR HOURS to make ONE iron dagger? That could be done in my sleep, with one arm tied behind my back." The woman continued to yell at the young mer, all the while he had a slight smirk on his face. He finally retorted, "Your skills aren't all that great or else i would've learned something worthwhile. I'm headed to Solitude, where the REAL smiths are." With that he turned and headed to the main gates. The woman's breathing calmed as she saw the khajiit stand in the road staring at the site. She straightened her dress and hair.

She coughed and cleared her throat, "Ahem..sorry for that sir, but we are closed for the day, i have a lot of work to catch up on."

"Oh no ma'am I was coming here to see if there was any jobs." Shaar approached head high, offering her his hand.

Her eyes lit up, "Wow, Didn't expect you to sound so courteous, " She remarked with a light smile, then shook her head, "At any rate, I've never heard of a Khajiit smith...no offense." She threw another light smile, curious as to how a khajiit learned the trade.

"Oh yes, ma'am, my parents taught me and my sister well. We were raised in an imperial city south of Cyrodill by an elderly imperial couple. And he taught me everything he could about smithing. I took 2nd place in a competition a few years back." He stated proudly. Her face lifted into a large smile, as his eared perked.

"Excellent, well...how about this. On the bench is the stuff needed to smith an iron dagger. You got one hour to show me what you can do. If its good, you got the job."

Shaar jumped for joy and rushed over to the table, grabbed the iron ingot, and rushed over to set it in the forge to start heating the metal. He grabbed a long sleeve leather shirt from his satchel and put it on to prevent singeing his fur. A smile crept on his muzzle as he watched the metal turning red.

* * *

 

Raahni was awoken by the sounds of life erupting from the town. Birds chirping, people haggling, a faint hammer in the distance. She sat up and stretched, noticing her brother not in the room. Pondering where he could've gone, she grabbed her satchel. Pulling out several items she thought she needed. She began to put on her leather armor and boot, strapped her elven sword on her hip and set her hunting bow on her back next to her quiver. Raahni hissed as her feet pads hurt as the blisters shifted. Reaching in her bag, she was saddened to find she was out of potions. She inhaled deep and focus her thoughts. Her left hand began to glow gold as her focus hardened on a healing spell. Her voice shifted into a light moan as her bruises and blisters heal when she released the magic, it swirling around her wounds. A smile crept over her face as she stood and headed downstairs.

As she left the room, she at once noticed the lack of people in the inn. Concerned she headed towards the bar, only to be lightly scared as a nord woman stood quickly from behind it.

"Oh gods i am so sorry miss." The young girl started apologizing.

"No no its ok. Have you seen Shaar, my brother?" 

The woman looked the khajiit over for a moment, "Oh yes he went down to see if he could get a job with the blacksmith."

"Oh that's good...hey just wondering. Do you know a Caius? uh...Caius Fairshield?" Raahni inquired, hoping to get him paid back quickly

"Who doesn't around here? He lives in the Breezehome. Its right next to the blacksmith."

"Thanks very much." Raahni smiled, giving the nord a small bow of respect, and headed out from the inn, walking very quickly down the road. Her pace slowed as she approached what could  house until she stopped at the door. Her nerves making her shake lightly. She took a deep breath, swallowed her fear, and raised her hand to the door.

 

 


	7. Reluctant Partnership

Caius had just finished a light breakfast of chicken eggs and horker bacon, before he methodically went through his normal morning routine, dressing in his usual steel armor, grabbing his satchel, double checking to make sure all his supplies where in there place, tying his sword to his hip and lastly grabbing a book to read off his shelf during the day. He wasn't sure exactly where he would be going nor what he was going to be carting around, he just knew that it could take a while and needed something to help pass the time. The man sighed, a weak smile on his face, hoping the day would go better than the day before. However, as he grabbed the handle, ready to start the day,  and quickly open the door, Caius inhaled sharply as he was surprised by the last person he expected, or wanted to see.

The khajiit's eyes went wide as the door was flung opened before her, her ears falling slowly as she noticed the man's face shift to one of optimism, to one of annoyance. She stood  in front of him, slowly lowered her fist, coughing to clear her throat, "Oh um uh hi...Caius was it?" She asked, hoping he was in a decent mood to talk.

Caius was very confused as to why she was there. He sighed, leaning against the side of the door frame, arms crossed,  "That's me, and hi...um Rasha was it?"

Raahni cleared her throat in a subtle cough, "Its uh Raahni actually. Can i um...can i come in?" She hesitated, "I wish to talk to you."

Caius sighed loudly and stepped to the side, motioning for her to enter. She nodded and quickly entered the cozy home. The human male firmly closed the door behind her, cutting her off by stating quickly, "Listen, i don't have a lot of time to talk, I'm expecting a missive any second for a job." He stated leaning back against the solid door, his tone clearly showing his annoyance and irritation.

Raahni nodded, her ears picking up his sour tone. Speaking gently, and slowly, in order to get her point across, "I understand, so i will be brief. I am here because you saved my life, and you gave me the gold i needed to save the only family I have left in the world. That may not seem like much to you, but i owe you a life debt I'm not sure I can ever fully repay. So i am here, In person, to do what ever is necessary to repay." She looked the human straight in the eye as she said this, her gold eyes shining brightly, and wide hoping he would take her up on her offer.

Caius raised one of his brows at what this young female was saying, and possibly implying, "What do you mean anything?" His eyes roamed over her, gauging her honestly and conviction. However, was not one to take advantage of someone, regardless of the circumstances.

Raahni slowly closed her eyes sighing, turning her head away, before staring at the floor with saddened eyes, "Whatever it would take." Her voice emotionless as  her long tail curled around her ankle, hoping and praying he wouldn't take her up on  _that_ offer.

The nord grimaced in disgust, it may have been awhile since he last laid with a woman, but he was NOT about to take a cat to bed. He shook his head, shaking the mental images away as he turned her down, "Nope, not going to happen." Caius stated firmly. The khajiit lifted her head to look him in the eye, "You owe me nothing, I only did so to get my coin back, which to be honest giving it to you was my good deed for the day," He paused, the last thing he needed, or wanted, was to get involved with a cat. He heard rumors about their kind in that regard, "Also, I am NOT going to have you pay me back in that manner, just the idea of doing anything like that with someone whoring themselves out makes me sick, especially a cat like you." He glared at her

Raahni's eyes narrowed in shock and anger, her jaw working on a response. The way he insulted her made her puff her chest in anger, "Oh yes I do nord. I OWE you for everything. I was raised to earn what i have, and given. I did NOT earn that gold from you." She snarled, both inside and out, at the mere thought of having this racist nord touching her intimately now made her shiver in anger and  overly glad he didn't take up her offer.

"Consider it a gift," Caius growled as he  flung open the door, pointing harshly to the road, "Now leave, please. Our business is done."

"Oh um Mr. Fairshield." A voice gained both their attentions. Raahni and Caius turned to see a young redguard boy standing just outside the now opened door, the nord's finger inches from the boys face. The nord coughed, quelling his anger, "Oh sorry about that boy, what can I do for you?"

The boy  handed him a letter, "Its from the Jarl of Falkreath, requesting a delivery of wheat as soon as possible. The pay is 400 gold up front, with an additional 400 upon delivery."

Caius carefully read and reread the letter muttering over what it said,  ' _Jarl of Falkreath urgently requested a large shipment of fresh cut wheat. Stores damaged by pest, needing to ensure enough for the upcoming winter months._   _nearly one ton of wheat. From Whiterun to Falkreath. 400 up front, 400 on delivery.  Due to the risks involved, an 300 gold per extra courier as been allotted, up to 2._ He was confused at the last line.

"Whats this line here mean?" He pointed to the last line on the paper.

The boy looked at it carefully, then stated plainly, "Oh we've had reports of bandits on most of the major roads in the area sir. Local guards recommending an extra sword or bow while out and about." The Breton handed Caius a bag of gold, the nord hefted it in his hand, determining the weight seemed good. The courier then nodded and left back down the road. Caius sighed and turned to see Raahni standing there staring him dead in the eye, a determined spark in her eyes. He sighed even harder, the long sighed turning into a low groan. He gritted his teeth, mulling over his thought.

"What are you good at?" He asked, the irritation clear in his voice. Raahni narrowed her eyes, "Archery, was taught a few spells, most two handed weapons are too heavy for my liking so I stick to my bow, although a family friend did teach me how to use a modest sword." She puffed her chest again, trying to appear intimidating. 

"Ok fine here's the deal cat, I don't trust you, nor like you." The khajiit went to argue, when he cut her off harshly, " I have my reasons, they are personal, and I'm not in a sharing mood. You can accompany me to Falkreath, and IF things go good and IF  I'm in a good mood. Then Ill bring you back to Whiterun. Regardless, once the shipment is done, we are DONE.  Your debt is paid. Deal?" He turned back to the door.

"Deal" She sighed and followed him out. He locked the door, then started walking down the road to the gates. Raahni followed him in silence to the carriage, where they could both see was nearly done being loaded. Her thoughts shifted from trying to figure out why he was upset. He climbed onto the seat grabbing the reigns. He glanced over and eyed over her lithe form as she jump into the seat next to him. She reached into her satchel, pulling out a elegant looking elvish bow and a quiver full of iron arrows. He sighed and flicked the leather strap, getting the horse in motion. They both sighed in near unison, both wanting the day to just get over with.


	8. AMBUSH!

They were about halfway there after only an hour, the lighter weight of the wheat letting his horses pull the load easily. Caius glanced over to the female khajiit sitting next to him as the cart was being pulled down the road to Falkreath. Raahni was sitting there, her compact muscles in her torso and arms tight as she held an arrow knocked in her bow, ready to be fired at a moments notice. Her bright gold eyes flitting back and forth from the road to the over grown forest around, scanning the area for trouble, her ears swiveled around at the smallest of sounds. He sighed internally, the last thing he wanted today was a headache and to be alone with a cat. Caius growled low thinking of all the issues in the past he's had with them. True he's had small issues with nearly every other non-human species, but the damn cats always seem to give him the most issues. He thought back to one of his earlier runs, a sole khajiit fired an arrow into his thigh, the tip sticking in the wood on his bench and keeping him from getting up to stop the cat from taking a bag of coin he had. Even as recently as last year when a wannabe assassin tried to spike his mead with poison.  Caius smiled at the memory, after he tasted the odd flavor of his mead, he spat it out as the khajiit rushed him, dagger in hand. The human was faster though, pulling his sword and swinging fast, the cats head rolling on the inn's floor.

He glanced back over his passenger, the cat not paying attention to him at all. He felt his left hand subconsciously dropping to his hidden dagger on his hip, imagining every scenario of her trying to kill him, and him rending her head from her shoulders when he was ripped from his thoughts by her breaking the silence, "It's almost to quiet for my liking nord." Her voice harsh.

He grunted as he listened to the lack of sounds nearby, not even the birds tweeted about. He sighed, not wanting to agree with her, "Yes. yes it is. But not many people live around here so that could be why."

"Hmm." she agreed quietly, her bow still ready to shoot. Her ears kept picking up odd noises here and there, but was unable to figure out exactly what they were. As she began lifting her bow, a loud whooshing sound caught her attention, when an arrow struck the seat right between her and Caius. They both looked up at the direction it came from, seeing a small group charging them from the timber.

She yelled as loud as she could, letting an arrow fly in the direction of the group came, "AMBUSH!"

Caius stopped the cart, leaping off drawing his sword in one motion, blocking a overhanded swing by the closet person. Caius went for the killing blow, only to be knocked off his footing by a large mass bum-rushing him. He rolled on the ground trying to find a way to get back up. He got to his knees only to find a fully armed large orc clad in heavy dwarven armor and helmet swinging a large war hammer down towards him. He leapt back as the hammer swung down barely missing where he was, a large cloud of dirt and mud flying from the impact. Before the orc could get ready for another swing, several arrows in a row hit the side of his helmet. Ciaus turned his head to find his khajiit passenger standing nearby firing arrows, a bandit dead at her feet with an arrow in his head. The orc swung fast to the side, aiming for her chest. She quickly forming a magic barrier. The hammer luckily was enchanted, bouncing off the field, the rebounding force hitting her chest, shattering both barrier and steel chest piece she wasn't wearing before, clearly taken from the bandit she slain. The force throwing her into a tree, knocking the wind out of her. This gave Caius time to grab his sword and pull his shield from his satchel. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her stand, look his way, before turning and fleeing into the woods, followed by another bandit.

Swearing to himself, Caius heard a grunt and out of reflex he ducked, narrowly missing a head shot by the large orc. He jumped and stood swinging his sword hard towards the orc's head. The sword connected and dented the face plate of the helmet, forcing the orc to fall back, but not before kicking hard at Caius, sending him flying back. The orc preceding to rip the damaged armor off and throw it aside, revealing the scarred face of the hulking beast. In the orcs rage, he swung hard. Caius lifted his shield, only to have it shattered and explode into several pieces. Caius found his body forced sideways from the impact, his left arm on fire and numb from the hit. He glanced down to see crimson flowing from under his bracers, unable to make his hand respond. Caius spat curses from the pain and quickly changed tactics. He breathed and focused quickly, sending a small fireball at the orcs chest, only causing light scorching. The orc chuckled and kicked him hard in the chest knocking his back, causing Caius to drop his sword and fall on his back. As he sat up, he saw the orc snear kneeing the nord hard in the face, a splash of red blood send flowing from the humans nose. He turned to see the orc  raising his hammer high above his head. Ciaus closed his eyes, praying to Talos. As he let out his last breath, he heard a rushing whoosh, followed by a sickening crunch and a painful grunt. Ciaus opened his eyes and saw the orc with an arrow on the side of his head, blood gushing out. The orc lifted his hand up to grasp the protrusion, when another hit the same area. As he fell back and to the side, Caius felt impact of the orc hitting the dirt. He breathed hard and was startled to hear a loud cheer, "YES."

He turned to see the khajiit sliding down a ravine next to the road. She rushed over and offered her paw, "Good thing you knocked his helmet off, I needed a better shot." She paused, "After I killed that other human."

He took her paw, only to have the pain of his injuries hit and he fell back, clutching his left arm. Raahni quickly grabbed a large healing potion, opened it, forcing the neck into Caius's mouth, sending the cooling liquid down his throat. HE felt the euphoric feeling of painlessness as his body repaired. He grunted and pulled himself up, not able to fully comprehend what had happened. Her face took on a serious look as she walked over and started looting the bodies,  before pulling them off to the side of the road. Caius looked her over as she approached, setting a satchel of loot in the back of the cart.

As they both climbed up, Caius turned and looked at her incredulously, "You...you...saved my life Raahni."

She turned to look at him, a softness washing over her face,  "Of course, I owe you my life and the life of my brother. I may be a _cat_ , but I was raised by humans. I'm not going to turn and run just to save my own skin Caius."

Caius looked away, instantly pained from the insults he flung at her. She still saved him, even knowing she didn't have to. He flicked the reigns, getting the cart moving again.

* * *

The rest of the trip was pretty quiet, no other bandits attacked them, no issues or problems. They even helped unload the wheat in Falkreath, after which Caius got paid and they were on the way back. The whole way his thoughts were scattered. He had never met a khajiit that did anything like that. They were always shifty, untrustworthy, lying thieves...and yet, this female...this Raahni, was the opposite. She was willing to put herself in danger to help, willing to work for what she needed. He sighed as he turned and saw her eyes fixed on the road. He glanced up to see Whiterun approaching, along with what appeared to be storm clouds. He urged his horses faster. The cart quickly entered the stable area and both jumped off letting the stable master tend to the horses, as Caius and Raahni walked into the city towards Caius's house. When they got to his front door, he reached into his satchel and pulled out a medium coin purse. He smiled as he handed it to her. "Here ya go ca...Raahni. Your pay."

She hefted the bag in her paw," This feels like too much, I thought you were going to take out what i owed, and I'd get the rest, this feels much more." Raahni tilted her head in confusion.

"That's true, but...you saved my life Raahni. I may have saved yours from the chopping block, but you saved mine in a way i wouldn't have done for you. You... your different Raahni. By doing so, you've shown your worth. So...your getting the full pay from that job." He paused, "And before you argue, that is final." He smiled.

Raahni got misty eyed, jumping for joy and hugging him tightly, causing him to blush, "Oh thank you thank you very much." She broke away and went to leave when a flash of light tore apart the sky, followed by a large thunderclap. Her ears fell back flat as a few raindrops hit her head.

"Hey Raahni," She turned to find Caius standing in his doorway, holding the door open, "Come on in."

She smiled and rushed in as a down pour flooded the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know your thoughts everyone. Would love to hear some feedback on this.


	9. Caius's history

Raahni closed her eyes as she fell lightly against the inside of the door as the tempest raged just outside. She exhaled sharply as she sighed, her ears flat against her head, thinking about the long day. Her chest still hurt from that impact from the orc earlier, every breath sending a light pain up her spine. She let out another soft breath as she relaxed, opening her eyes to the homey interior of the house. Her eyes roamed over the soft lighted walls from the central fire, casting the oranges hue on several shelves containing several books and odd knick knacks, the weapons racks containing a few older looking weapons. She let her eyes fall to the kitchen area, where her human companion was setting his heavy sounding satchel on the table with a groan. The weighed bag clanging onto the table. Caius exhaled as he looked to the khajiit with an amused look.

“Going to stand there all night? Or are you going to relax?”

Raahni looked around the floor for a good place to set her stuff down, not wanting to impose. She would’ve been just fine setting her bag on the ground and napping on a chair or bench. The khajiit went to set her bag down when the sound of wood creaking drew her attention. She glanced up to find the human standing on a set of older step leading up. He motioned with a hand for her to follow. Not wanting to waste time, she followed him up to the second level, where he turned and led her to a door. He opened it to reveal a very simple room, adorned with nothing more than a small chest, nightstand and a bed. Confused, she looked to the human who waved a hand at the bed.

“Go ahead and take a load off here Raahni. Ill go get some dinner started for us huh.” He smiled warmly at her, and for the first time, it was an honest friendly smile.

She walked hesitantly into the room and felt the bed with her paw, feeling the soft material underneath. Raahni turned to ask why when he was already gone, the creaking stairs signaled her to his retreat. She sighed and set her own bags on the bed, feeling how heavy it was now that the weight was off her shoulder. She closed the door and began to strip, letting her dirty and worn clothes fall to the floor in a heap. Now fully nude, she let her paws roam over her lithe form, feeling for unseen injuries in her sore muscles. Through her pad she felt how messy and dirty her fur was. She grimaced as her own scent hit her, the smell of stale sweat, debris and others blood. Since she was unsure when she would bath, she reached for her bag and pulled a small book from within. Raahni opened the small handmade book to a certain page, eyes roaming over the words written in her own hasty writing. She inhaled deep as she focused her magic in her paws. She lifted her paw to above her head, mere inches from her fur and slowly worked down, feeling and hearing her fur tussle with magic. She opened her eyes and watched dust, twigs, leaves, moisture and dirt lift off her body and fall to the bare floor, landing in a circle around her. Once done she felt a little better, but still a bit gross. The khajiit would love a good soak in water soon. Raahni felt clean enough though to redress, pulling clean underwear and chest wraps from her bag, covering her intimate regions before reaching once more for something clean. Her ears fell as she pulled a blue dress from the depths. Not really one for the frilly clothes, she pulled it up over her petite frame, tying it off behind her. She pleaded with the divines that her human friend won’t think the wrong thing.

Raahni opened her door, smell hitting her nose and made her mouth water. She made her way out of her temporary room and down the stairs to find Caius wearing simple pants and shirt, sorting the contents of his satchel, setting random stuff in one pile while the others went into a different pile. He looked up to see the khajiit wearing a very form fitting dress. He felt his eyes roam over her, not wanting to but still admiring what was in front of him. Raahni watched at the human gaze over her form, suddenly feeling very aware that this dress was showing her curves.

“I uh had nothing else to wear; I’m not really a dressy person.” She looked down in embarrassment.

Caius coughed, “Oh that’s fine Raahni, just after seeing you in bloody leather armor, it’s different seeing you in normal clothes.” He smiled at here before continuing sorting his loot. Raahni smiled, as she sat at the table, enjoying the tasty scents coming from the pot over the fire. Caius grabbed the useful items like potions, and herbs and placed them onto the shelf nearby while the armors and weapons went back into his bag. He walked over and placed it near the door. On the way back he opened the lid, wave his hand and stirred the contents by magic, filling the room with more of the tasty aromas. The use of magic impressing Raahni as Caius walked over and sat across from the khajiit. He placed a small bottle of mead in front of her.

He sighed as he folded his hands, “Look, Ill be honest when I say that I hated your kind, and I judged you based on mere opinions. I would’ve have gave you a second glance at the chopping block had my curiosity as to why you left most of my purse after stealing it. My hatred is from several events in my past.”

Raahni looked expectedly at the human, “What happened?”

Caius looked of at nothing, “To start, I’m not a nord. My grandfather was a nord who moved to Cyrodill and married a lovely imperial. Well my dad would travel back and forth between Skyrim and Cyrodill for the military and loved the way the nords lived so he planned on moving here. Well when the White-gold concordant was signed, dad left for Skyrim. When the civil war broke out, he joined the Stormcloaks. However, he wasn’t very keen on the way they treated non humans, since he had many mer friends while in the capital.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad so far.” Raahni was surprised that her friend’s father was a Stormcloaks, but still confused as to why this would lead to Caius’s hatred.

“Well, after a campaign, they captured a group of altmer traders. They murdered two of them in cold blood as my dad told it. Well he was about to walk away, not wanting to be involved when one of them caught his attention. He approached her and pulled a necklace from her neck to see an amulet of talos. Turns out, she had no love for the Thalmor’s ways and fled to avoid persecution or worse at the hands of the Thalmor’s. Well not long after he found this, the camp was attacked by Imperials. During the confusion, my father and this female altmer fled into the woods. They changed their clothes and names, and blended into a local village until the war was over where they fell in love. A year later I was born.”

Raahni sputtered and choked on her mead, “You’re a mer hybrid?” She had heard rumors that they existed in the old days but never seen one due to the war spreading hate between and amongst the races.

“Yea, wouldn’t believe by first glance huh. But my eyes and slight gold tinge are dead giveaway.”

Raahni looked hard and after a second she did see a slight gold hue to his skin with a brighter colored ring around his iris.

“Anyway, then a few years later my little sister was born, and she looks full altmer, minus the magic prowess. I, on the other hand, look human but I’m on the same level magic-wise as a high elf. Well apparently one of the survivors of the assault found my dad, married to the former enemy, and he got pissed. He hired an assassin to murder my father, right in front of me, by slicing his throat.”

“Let me guess. Khajiit assassin?”

Caius looked at that table sadly, “Yea, years later I found that monster camping in the woods hunting deer. He recognized me and before he could even raise his sword I put an arrow right in the middle of his forehead. When I got home, I found my mother tied to the bed, her clothes torn open and her eyes dull and glazed. Her and my little sister were drugged and raped by someone. Once the poison was cleared they told me it was a khajiit, they even told me his name.”

Raahni stared wide eyed as he watched the man’s face contort into rage, “I found him in a tavern nearby boasting about it to his buddies. Turns out they were doing it for kicks, the drugs were supposed to kill them hours later. I had gotten back just in time to save them.” He paused sighing loudly, “The next morning local guards found me sitting outside the tavern soaked in blood. I told them what happened and I sat in jail for a week for murder. The only reason I wasn’t put to death was because I killed monsters like that.”

He took a large drink of mead, “Ever since, it seems every Khajiit I met either tried to kill me or rob me,” Caius smiled at Raahni, “Until you.”

Raahni smiled at the human, “So now what?”

“I want you to work with me, be my guard so to speak.”

“What?” She asked shocked.  
“I want you to be my second bow or sword. You can live in that room upstairs if you like and we can split the earning 50/50.” He gestured. Raahni roamed over his face, seeing nothing but honesty. “What do ya say?”

Raahni smiled warmly, loving the feeling of trust that spread through her, “Of course, Id love to. How about now I tell you about my past.”

Caius smiled and nodded as the Khajiit started to talk, the human listening to every word.


	10. Chapter 10

“Well to start, my real parents were khajiit, and I was born in Elsweyr, while my younger brother was born here in Skyrim while they were traveling. They were traders and caravaneers that traveled all over the place. However they did…acquire and sell goods that were not gotten legally. Not sure where they stole the items from, I just know that they did steal, and often. Anyway, it was just after the war, and I was barely two years old, while my younger brother was hardly a few months from mom’s womb. They were on route to… I think Falkreath when a few surviving Stormcloaks surrounded us. They attacked our wagon and when they saw that our parents had Stormcloak arms and uniforms in their chests, they slit our parents throats for stealing from their brothers and sisters. They left me and Shaar alone to die in the cold, like the animals we were.” She grimaced as she paused, then took a drink of mead, “Well, this man came upon us shortly after when he heard the screaming, not expecting to find any survivors in the blood shed. He found us alone and crying in the frigid air. Picking us up, wrapping us up in as much clean wrappings he could find from both the now destroyed wagon and his own to keep us warm, he quickly left the area and rushed to Falkreath were he quickly met up with his wife who was staying at the inn, and showed her what he found. They decided to adopt us, taking us into their loving arms. They told us later when we were old enough, that his wife was unable to carry a child, didn’t say much other than she got sick a while ago and was scarred on the inside.”

Raahni paused again as she smile brightly, her eyes full of memories, “We didn’t care though, we were well fed, educated and loved. We got our names from a local Khajiit merchant, he said that at the very least we should have something from our race. Dad and mom taught us as much as they could, and we swallowed up everything we could learn. From math, reading and writing, map reading, and how to generally be a good person. I was old enough that early on I did still have a bit of an infliction in my voice when I spoke, but after a few years it went away fully. My brother was too young to have picked up on our real parents speech patterns, so he never had to unlearn how to talk.”

“Wow, sounds like you had a rough start huh?” Caius stood, walking over to the steaming pot with two bowls and ladled out two heaping bowls of stew. He smiled as he placed one in front of her, the tasty aromas filling her nose. She blew on a spoonful to cool it slightly as she lifted it to her mouth. As soon as the chunks of meat and liquid hit her mouth, her eyes widened in surprise at just how good it was. She actually moaned as she chewed the tender hunks of meat and slightly still crunchy vegetables. She swallowed and couldn’t help but exclaim to the amused man in front of her, enjoying his own meal, “Oh by the nine that is so good.” He chuckled as she started to practically inhale her portion, messily devouring the bowl as she went.

She finished the bowl with a satisfied sigh, leaning back into the chair as she absentmindedly rubbed her full stomach, something she hasn’t felt since she arrived in Skyrim. She opened her eyes to see Caius smirking at her. “Sorry, haven’t had much to eat since I left home, been eating sparsely.”

“That’s fine, and if ya want seconds just go ahead, don’t be shy. Now, what happened next?”

“Oh well, for years we lived as imperials. Helping dad with his travels and even taking up a few of his routes by myself, helped mom with some of the more mundane domestic stuff, and generally just being the best we could. Even most of the people that lived nearby and knew us treated us good, even better than the khajiit travelers that we met. They seemed confused when we didn’t speak or act like our race. I’ve never felt the urge or need to steal, or lie to people.” She sighed as she continued, “The only ones that seemed to give us grief was some of the argonian merchants or the Nordic ones, but it was never that bad. Coming here though I’ve heard more speciest comments than I ever had, seems like the nords up here still have their hatred of us, which…I don’t blame them. We khajiit are known for our tendencies, which are mostly bad. Anyway, a few years back mom passed away during the winter. She got very sick and never got better. So I quit the traveling to stay home and help dad, Shaar helped out by taking up a position as a smith to help bring in extra coin. Well, this summer dad was attacked by a bandit while out in the field, and…we couldn’t get out there in time. He passed from his wounds late in the night. Well, the city took possession of the land and willed it to dads nephew, our cousin.”

“Wouldn’t it have gone to you and your brother since you were their children.” Caius asked as he washed up the bowls and silverware.

“Yea IF we were blood related, but we were adopted, and therefore excluded. Our cousin thought it was wrong as well, but nothing could be done. He offered us to stay there and help out on the farm. I decided to stay and help out, keep the farm running, while Shaar left to pursue his fame and fortune. Well bout two months later I get a letter, saying he made a bad bet and then a bad investment, resulting in him being enslaved up in Solitude. I packed up and left for there, his slaver telling me to bring a lot of coin by the end of the month and he will be freed. I sold a lot of my belongings and did everything I could to get the coin, but I was still short. That is …until I saw you and your purse. I just…I panicked and was so conflicted, either steal and save my only family, or risk hoping I could sell a few more things at the right price.” Her ears fell as she finished, still very much ashamed of her actions.

“Well, that explains why you were so hell bent on paying me back. Also, now that I know you have prior experience with traveling and being a caravaneer, looks like I made the right choice asking you to assist me, and also to trust you enough to offer you to fully live here in that spare room. Its not much, but its something.”

Raahni’s ears perked up as she gave her answer, “Id love to.” She offered him a smile as the storm continued to rage outside. After talking a bit more about the past, they each went to bed, the thoughts of the future on both their minds.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY Im not dead lol. Just been super busy with stuff.  
> Next chapter should be next week and with regular updates.

Raahni's eyes flitted open as the sound of morning birds chirped and twittered about. The brightening of the room from sunlight silently told her that it was now morning. She sprawled out on the soft bed and started to yawn that quickly shifted into a quiet moan as she stretched on the bed, softly groaning as her back and joints popped. The female khajiit softly and happily sighed as she started to sit up. She gently scratched her belly and back as she stood, panicking for only a moment when she noticed her clothing was gone, before she remember she stripped off and slept nude for the first time in a long while, previously opting to sleep fully armored and weapon at the ready since she was wholly untrusting of practically everyone in Skyrim. For some reason however, she felt at ease around her new companion, somehow just knowing he wouldn't be one to try anything with her, whether out of respect or disgust was yet to be fully seen.

She exhaled as she grabbed her bag, reaching deep into the depths searching for a clean set of clothes, ignoring all the potions, books and other debris that was just floating around in her satchel. She smiled as her paw grabbed what she was looking for, pulling out and, much to her chagrin, another form fitting dress. Her ears fell back as she roughly sighed and pulled on under garments then bent over to slip into the red dress. As she tied it onto her body, she absentmindedly let her paw roam over her curves, mentally hoping that it wasn't too appealing, especially to the human in the house. She and him may be now somewhat friends, but the last thing she wanted was to give the impression that she wanted to be anything more, which in her case was true, she had no interest in finding a spouse or mate yet.

Raahni sighed as she laced up her boots, and inhaled deeply, only to stopped when the most enticing aroma hit her nose, ears perking up as her nose flared. She quickly finished getting dress, curious as to what the scent was. She made her way out of the bed room and slowly sauntered down the stairs, tail flicking happily as she got to the bottom to find Caius setting two plates on his table cover in food. Right away she saw horker bacon, eggs, and what looked like shredded potatoes. The human glanced up to see his partner and guest looking at him with both legitimate hunger and surprise. He motioned at the food set upon the table with a open hand, “Eat up Raahni, we got a busy day ahead of us.”

The khajiit bowed respectfully to the human before sitting down at the table, Caius sliding a loaded plate in front of her, the now familiar scent of breakfast hitting her nose in force making her mouth water and her belly demand sustenance. She glanced up to make sure her host had started eating himself before she dug in, slowly devouring the meal, relishing in the flavors. She couldn't help but let out a moaning purr as she chewed, causing the human to chuckle lightly as he himself ate. It wasn't until she ate a good chunk of her food before her mouth opened before she could stop it, “Sorry if this seems forward, but by the nine how are you single? Your a strong warrior, brave, witty, smart, and a great cook.” She raised her glass as a slight toast, her ears burning from embarrassment from the question.

Caius laughed, taking a large gulp of milk before he answered with a shrug, “Eh just haven't really look for anyone. I'm not into whole 'I like you...you like me...lets marry' stuff that most do. That just leads to problems down the road to me. Nah Id rather get to know a woman fully before I settle down.” He took a bite of potatoes before he continued, “Not to say I haven't had offers. Seems every city I've been to has at least one or two woman that have tried to proposition me, and I left them with a broken heart.” The two chuckled, as they continued to eat.

The human looked as his guest and returned the inquiry, his voice soft and sincere, “What about you? Don't you have some male somewhere that holds your heart?”

This made Raahni pause, unsure of how to answer. Her question was a rhetorical one, not really wanting or needing to hear a reason, she honestly just let her mouth run faster than her brain could. But Caius's question seemed like he honestly and genuinely curious about her being single. She was still thinking about just how to respond when the human continued, “Not to sound like I'm interested or anything, just observing that your rather....well...attractive compared to some of the other ca...um khajiit I've seen around...” He paused, his face slightly pink from being flushed...”ya know, not all scarred up or with odd jewelry hanging around. Your a great fighter and don't have any of those...attitude problems most species seems to have.”

Raahni almost chuckled the him for being so forthcoming, “Same as you, I've been to busy helping around the farm, trying to save my brother, or trying to figure out to pay you back to find someone. Besides..” she scoffed as her muzzle twisted,”...most khajiit males are only interested in my looks or as 'good breeding' while humans don't see past my appearance as a cat. The elves are about the same, so I might be alone for a while I suppose.” She paused again, “What do you mean attitude issues?”

Caius laughed, “Oh you know, some altmer have that 'I'm better than you' thing, nords only care about how good you are in battle, Breton are easy going but prefer those with magical skills, um...the redguard are a bit deep rooted in traditions about courtship, and the argonians and khajiit seem to treat females as if they are required to only do certain things...no offense.”

Raahni waved it off with a smile, she knows exactly what he was talking about. Caius raised his glass as a toast to her as he finished, “You never know though, you might find someone that likes you for you.” Caius smiled at the female.

Raahni felt her ears perk up and the sweet phrase, not thinking much on it. She was going to be much to busy working and saving money to start a new life, finding a mate was very low on her list of wants right now. As they finished eating, the two left for their respective rooms and changed into armor, she into her usual leather armor, tying her bow and quiver to her back, and slinging her nearly empty satchel to her side. She opened her door to find Caius wearing steel armor this time, and a steel sword on his hip. They greeted each other, she following him down the stairs and out the door, Caius pausing only for a moment to lock the door behind him, as Raahni waved to her brother as he hammered out red hot metal nearby. The duo made their way out of the city and back to the man's awaiting full cart. They hopped onto the seats, Caius reading the manifest and Raahni readying her bow, before the two took off to begin the days adventures, starting with taking a shipment of iron ore to three different cities in the hold. Raahni had a soft smile on her face, for the first time in a long time, feeling happy and at ease, like nothing could go wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to give feedback...I take it all good or bad


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